First Kiss, Last Breath
by MandNwriterzz
Summary: Mai's life is slowly spiraling into madness. One day she has a nightmare in which she is being killed slowly, painfully, torturously. But it isn't just a dream; it's a prophecy. In dark times, Mai is forced to fear the one boy she could always trust to keep her safe, the one boy she loved. R&R! Kisses, M.
1. Chapter 1

**Narumai? Narumai.**

 **R &R peeps, if you aren't going to Fave and Follow!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Ghost Hunt.**

* * *

It once again came down to this. The face-off like they had for every case, the shouting, the insulting, cruel things they both said. Mai glared at him, legs spread, hands clenched into fists, teeth bared. Naru returned her glare with a cold, cold look in his eyes.

Mai's right hand was bleeding, trickling down her wrist and dripping onto the floor of the SPR office. The long sleeve of her shirt was ripped from the elbow down and a number of red marks lay across her arm. The cut was from an accident on a case; the red marks on her skin were Naru's doing.

There had been a distinct chill between the two during the last few hours of the case; with every passing minute, the ice thickened. Now that they were alone...

"Are you in your right mind, Naru?!" Mai yelled furiously. Naru blinked slowly, once.

"I don't see why you're are so angry." He replied in a biting tone of voice. Mai winced slightly; it was always worse this way. She would wait with bated breath for the day he lost control.

"Don't." she snarled, stepping closer to him and raising a finger. "Don't play that whole 'I-don't-see' nonsense. They were _my_ friends! And you put them in _danger_!" she stabbed him in the chest with her finger. "Just so you could solve your little mystery!" She poked him again.

Naru grabbed her wrist and moved it away from his body. Mai tried to pull free from his vice-like grip, but failed. She gritted her teeth when his finger dug into her injury.

"They're the ones who came to me with this case." he said coldly. "They're the ones who offered to help. I told them that it was dangerous, but they were insistent. It's not my fault that your friends are as thickheaded as you, Mai. Always swooning over the likes of me and Lin and Takigawa."

That stung. Badly. Mai's eyes began to burn and she jiggled her wrist. "Let go of me, you narcissistic bastard."

Naru's midnight blue eyes narrowed and Mai gasped, suddenly quaking with fear. "N-Naru you're h-hurting m-me," she whimpered as his grip tightened. He ignored her and just looked at her with that cold glint.

"I should make you apologize for that." he hissed and a white light began to shine behind his eyeballs. Mai's eyes widened in fear; the case of the Yoshimi family came flooding back: The blood, the murders, the pain... Naru's glowing white eyes.

"N-Naru, l-let go o-of me," she whispered in an uncontrollably shaky voice, the tears finally starting to fall. "You're h-hurting m-me, Naru."

He seemed to come out of whatever took him over when he heard her voice shake and saw the tears fall. The cold glint disappeared, replaced with a flash of _something,_ and then disbelief. He looked down at the hand he was gripping tightly, the blood from her gash coating his fingers and trickling down his hand. Mai looked down at their feet, almost toe to toe with each other.

They stayed like that for what seemed like an hour and then Naru opened his mouth but no sound came out. He shut it then tried to speak again, failing yet another time. His grip slackened and Mai immediately pulled away and made for the door. His fingers passed over her wrist and clamped down on her hand, halting her in her tracks.

"Mai..." he said hoarsely, but she just sniffed and untangled their hands.

She left without even saying goodnight.

* * *

Naru still couldn't believe what had happened. The main door slammed shut and sent his mind reeling.

He'd hurt her. He'd assaulted her. He'd bruised her. He'd caused her pain. He'd terrified her.

He collapsed in a chair, staring off into space, wide-eyed. What had just happened? He was bandaging her hand, then they were arguing and he said some cruel stuff. She was trying not to cry...

 _Let go of me, you narcissistic bastard._

A cold chill swept over him. Never, _ever_ , before had he ever lost control like that, especially not over something so petty. He obviously got annoyed but that... that was just pure fury that had been coursing through his veins.

Yes, he had touched her before, grabbed her arm or something but never in a way that either hurt her or marked her. And for the first time, he had done both. He lost control. He pushed her further away.

Naru rested his arms on his knees and dangled his head between his legs, fingers clutching at his black locks. He'd seen the marks on her arm, red lines stark against her creamy pale skin. Marks he'd left on her.

Naru groaned and leaned back against the chair, shutting his eyes and trying to forget about the incident. He would apologize, he told himself sternly. There was no way he would leave her thinking he was a dominating and abusive boy. Despite his best efforts to block her out, he could still see Mai's tear streaked face, the fear and the horror that was etched into the lines of her face.

He opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing his jaw. When he looked up, he noticed Mai's jacket draped across the small table in the corner. He shook his head in distaste; the _baka_ had forgotten it. He thought of going after her and giving it to her then gave up the idea; she would probably just stalk away from him. Then again it was the middle of November and she wasn't wearing much-

Naru's eyes widened. Mai's image flashed across his eyes; the full sleeved shirt she was wearing was torn till her right shoulder and had various rips in the back and the neckline sagged, her skirt was tiny- too small to be worn in the winter's- and she wasn't even wearing stockings. He stood up so fast, his chair fell over backwards and he shot out of the door.

Her scarf and gloves were still on the counter, as was her purse. The room was silent and dark, save for the muted television. With his heart crawling up his throat, he turned to the television. The newsman was grimly relaying the news of the most recent incident; the rape gang that had sprung up a few weeks ago had left two women defiled and hospitalized. And all their targets had been around the area where Mai lived.

Images of the women were displayed on the television; bruised and battered, some comatose... some impregnated. One dead. Naru didn't see anything else before he sprinted for the main door and didn't even bother closing it as he jumped steps and hit the pavement at full speed. His brain was screaming, pumping his legs to run faster, forcing the cold air in and out of his lungs.

 _Mai..._

She would be alright. She _had_ to be alright. He'd kill them all if she wasn't, he'd hunt down every last one and _slaughter_ them. The brunette had worked for him for three years now, and she wasn't that small, skinny sixteen year old girl now. Naru had noticed everything; she had grown her hair out slightly, and her body had matured greatly. She had the curves that women envied and men wanted, the skin that was considered fair, not too pale, not too brown, and ever since she had started wearing lipgloss the shape of her lips had become very prominent.

At nineteen, she was a specimen. And a target.

Mai knew a spell to exorcize a ghost or spirit, but never had any of them taught her how to defend herself physically. And Naru was the one who would be to blame, because he was the one who should have taught her or at least made sure she had an escort home for the night. But no, he let her leave dressed like that, completely defenseless.

At twenty, he was infatuated. And crazy in love.

He was the only one who should be allowed to touch her, and he swore that he would make sure that it stayed that way.

* * *

Mai started panicking about fifteen minutes after she realized that she was sopping wet, sparsely clad and shivering. Not to add that her apartment was still quite far away and that all the taxis and buses had stopped thanks to the horrendous weather.

Not to add that the area she was currently walking through seemed to have experienced a blackout.

She shivered and ducked her head, trying to keep herself warm as she trudged through the dark and frozen streets. Damn that Naru, if he hadn't been acting it all up she wouldn't have been so upset and left her stuff behind.

"And what's with him all of a sudden?" she mumbled to herself. "Going all crazy and over bossy and..." She muttered a stream of profanities aimed his way.

Cold wind blew and the brunette shivered and stopped in her tracks. The streets were extremely silent, the only sound being her loud and shaky breathing and the rustling of trees. She shuddered; Naru like that was terrifying. What had happened to him all of a sudden? He'd never lost control like that before.

Mai involuntarily shivered again, only this time it was different. Her heart started pounding and her sixth sense kicked in making her hyper-aware of her surroundings. She felt a little queasy like those times when she could sense the presence of a ghost...

Only this time it wasn't a spirit or a ghost. This time, a living thing was making her feel strange.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Mai started walking again, unconsciously going a little faster. Her feet pattered against the pavement, quiet and barely noticeable. But then she heard it: heavier and slower footsteps trying to keep time with her own. She stopped suddenly and so did the stalker. Again, she walked forward but stopped after five steps; this time the stalker was unprepared and he skidded to an unsteady halt.

And then the stalker was running, the footsteps increasing in pace. Mai shot forward, heart beating in her throat as she sprinted down the sidewalk. She didn't care about where she was going, not caring that she could fall and hurt herself or anything else. Adrenaline pumped in her veins; her body was its puppet.

The sound grew louder and louder and suddenly she felt fingers brush her back. Her heart leaped to her throat and she put on a burst of speed. Unfortunately for her, Mai's ankle twisted on the slippery pavement and she felt herself falling face first, unable to stop herself.

" _Naru_." she gasped as the floor came towards her face. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and the owner of the arms grunted when their knees hit the floor on either side of her to stop her from smashing her face in. For a moment it was all so familiar: the grip, the feel of his shirt sleeve and his smell of cologne and tea...

And then it was all gone when the owner of the arms turned her over and pushed her against the pavement and pinned her wrists on either side of her. Mai looked up and her heart skipped a beat because she didn't know the stranger who was currently straddling her. He was a very scary looking man with something more than lust in his eyes.

"Well, hello beautiful." he whispered and ran his fingers across her cheek. A scream erupted from Mai's throat but were effectively cut off when the man forced his lips on hers.

* * *

 **Yea... it kinda took a dark turn right? Well, let's just leave it at that till now. I think you guys might want to know what happens next so...  
**

 **If I get five reviews, I'll post the next chapter :)**

 **R &R!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hullo! So now I'll post the next chapter :) Thanks so much for the reviews guys! Really appreciate them.**

 **Thanks to supernovachristian18, wintergiirll, konohinamoto, , .520, Bookworm19810, book of eternity, icewolf47845, , and Lucy72227 for Favoriting, and to Gally619, Lil'OldNarcissisticMe, Snavej (Thanks for the review too!), The True Amaterasu, Time Angel Kiko, lafoodoo, percabeth8, tennison, wintergiirl, Alexandraw1994, Lucy72227, Naruisawesome, Nollypoo, Sesshy's Rose, .520, konohinamoto, Bookworm19810, icewolf47845 and whitedragon2645 for Following.**

 **Language warning? Yeah... and probably borderline M but I doubt it really, it isn't anything descriptive.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt**

* * *

Mai pulled in and lashed out with legs, hoping to injure assailant and was thus rewarded. The rapist wheezed when the soles of her feet connected with his chest. She grinned to herself as his lips were forced away from own, but her victory was short lived when something as hard as steel hit her across the face.

"Bitch!" Her attacker swore and rubbed his chest. Mai's vision grew fuzzy quite suddenly and she realized she was bleeding from the head and her cheek was throbbing painfully where it had scraped against the pavement.

"Now look what you've gone and done, you _kono kusoyarou."_ A new voice said with a sigh. A shadow fell across Mai's face as another man crouched down behind her and yanked on her hair, dragging her chin up. "You've damaged the goods."

 _Damaged the goods. Goods?!_ Mai felt her temper rise and she struggled with renewed vigour. The man holding her hair jumped a little and laughed. "Still got some fight in you? That's good, it just makes the sex much more fun."

Those words pulled Mai back into reality and the enormity of the situation hit her. Not for the first time, she cursed herself for being slow on the uptake. Of course, she knew what was happening- someone was trying to rape her- but she had completely forgotten about the gang that prowled the streets at night.

She really felt stupid right about now. Even she did fight, she shouldn't have left the office alone or should have at least avoided the dark street. She screamed in frustration and tried to chomp down on the attacker's hand. The man straddling her hastily drew his hand away then grabbed her around the neck, squeezing until her lungs burned and she gasped for air.

"That's it Ko. Lemme teach her a lesson right here." her assailant growled. The other man- Ko- stood up and dusted off his jeans. "Now Amon, you can't take her all for yourself. The other boys won't like that very much; it isn't often we find a virgin."

Amon grinned evilly and leaned down towards Mai's face and sniffed her hair and nuzzled a soft spot behind her ear. "She sure does smell like one. Behaves like it too. But you can never be sure with them. It would be a surprise if some dude hasn't fucked this gorgeous thing already."

He moved his lips down her throat and dragged his tongue up her neck. Mai yelped in disgust and tried to jerk away but to no avail. Ko chuckled heartily.

"Let's drag her back to the boys first then you can check if you want." he said, eyes glittering mischievously. Mai gulped and tried to pull away one last time. Amon got off her and grabbed her hair before she could run and began to drag her away. Mai screamed as pain exploded in her scalp when her attacker pulled on her hair. Tears worked there way out of her eyes, tears of anger, horror, pain, fear.

"Oh shut up!" Ko spat and stopped Amon for a minute so he could gag Mai. That done, they set off again and Mai winced as the rough gravel scraped against her back painfully. It was pure torture, and it wasn't stopping. Mai sobbed into the gag, too low for anyone to hear her.

With one last tug Amon released her hair, dropping her head with a jerk. A jab of pain spiked through her skull and she yelped and rolled onto her stomach, trying to pick herself up. She'd often seen Lin in a defensive stance, seen how he had warded off people and she just hoped she could do it too, silently praying as she removed her gag.

She heard the sounds then; catcalls and whistles, racy comments and lewd words as about six people surrounded her and trapped her in a circle. Struggling to her feet, Mai brought her hands up before her in a weak defense while she tried to keep her balance. The loss of blood from her head and the throbbing pain in her body was making it extremely difficult.

Someone laughed. "Are you really going to fight us, girly?"

One man stepped up behind her and-before Mai could react- slapped her on the butt. She shrieked and jumped forward, narrowly missing the clutches of a third man.

"Ko! Amon! You've found us a curvacious babe." The slap man said. "She's gorgeous."

"Mhm, and she looks like she's going to have soft skin," the third man said with a dangerous grin, flashing yellow teeth. " _Everywhere._ "

It was too much. Mai started to shake and whatever little will she had to fight evaporated. She dropped her fists and wrapped her arms around her body as she sunk to the floor. She couldn't do this, this was something she couldn't fight. They were so big and dominating, rough and disgusting. She couldn't handle it.

"Naru... Help me..." she whispered, choking on her tears as the men closed in around her. Someone grabbed her by her hair again and yanked her body to the side. Her right shoulder slammed against the ground sending a jolt of pain down her arm. Suddenly, she lay flat on her back with one of the rapists standing over her, his feet pressing down on her wrists, keeping her in place.

Mai began to pant; fear and adrenaline mixed with her blood. Maybe she could still get away, maybe she could throw this man off, maybe someone would hear her-

"NARU!" She screeched at the top of her lungs. "NARU!"

The man standing over her crouched down while still pinning her to the ground, took two fingers and forced them into her mouth. Mai instantly gagged and her screams were cut off halfway.

"Shut up, bitch." The man said quietly, calmly even.

"Is everything okay?" It was that Ko guy from before. Mai glared at him through her tears and he smirked.

"Yeah, she was just getting a little noisy. You guys should hurry and draw straws to see who gets her virginity."

A sob wracked her body; she never thought it would be like this. After all these years of protecting her purity, and _this_ was how she lost it. All the background noise faded and all she could hear was her heart beating painfully fast. Seconds seemed to be dragging into forever, slowly counting down to her impending doom.

"Done. Amon get's her." She quailed at the mention of his name. The man holding her down was joined by another figure who changed places with him. It was Amon and he smiled at her, licking his lips in the process. Filthy lips that had been kissing her approximately fifteen minutes ago.

"HELP ME!" Mai forced a screamed again. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"Shut up!" Amon hissed and brought a fist down on her chest hard, causing her to gasp. Mai could have sworn for a second her heart stopped beating. Pain blossomed from where his fist had landed above her left breast. Still she pushed and fought in his clutches.

"NARU!" Her voice broke and she sobbed. Dropping her voice a little she said, "I'm so sorry Naru, for everything I said and did... Just help me, _please_."

"Your boyfriend isn't coming," Amon sneered, moving his hands down to her hips, then lower to the hem of her skirt. Mai thrashed when his hands touched her bare skin and he grunted in annoyance, bringing his fist down on her chest again. "This isn't like the mangas and animes where a superhero comes swooping in to save you.

"It's not going to happen. You belong to me now."

Amon pressed his covered forearm against Mai's neck, choking her screams while his other hand forced her knees apart and spread her legs. Mai tried to press her knees together and tried to claw Amon's arm off but the lack of oxygen was making her weak; her body throbbed all over and her limbs refused to respond.

This wasn't fair. Her life wasn't fair. Why was it that everything was _snatched_ from her, never taken away when she was ready to let it go. First her parents, then her love and now this.

Mai braced herself for one more loss as her attacker's hand slid up the inside of her thigh, pulled her underwear down and his fingers touched her between her legs.

* * *

Naru heard her. He heard her screams.

At first she called out to no one in particular as he ran towards the source of the sound. The streets got darker with every step. _I'm coming Mai, I'm coming..._

When he heard his name, Naru's heart beat faster. She was calling out to him specifically. She _needed_ him. He ran faster than he ever had, not caring that the rape gang would hear him coming, not caring that he might lose his footing on the slippery streets.

Only her. He only cared about her.

 _"...sorry Naru, for everything I said and did... Just help me,_ please _."_

Why was she apologizing?! And in this situation?! Did she really think he was so cruel that just because of a argument and harsh words he wouldn't save her?!

 _"This isn't like the mangas and animes where a superhero comes swooping in to save you. It's not going to happen. You belong to me now."_

Now he was pissed. Mai belonged to him. Only to him.

It was the upcoming alley, he could hear footsteps and rowdy laughter. Without pausing to think Naru swung into the alley and punched the lights out of the first man he saw. The man went down and didn't stand up.

All actions stopped. The man Naru had just punched seemed to have been the lookout and everyone else was loitering around, doing whatever. At the very back of the alley Naru saw Mai sprawled on the floor, eyes clenched shut with tears rolling off her face. Leaning over her was a man... and his hands were in all the wrong places.

"Get. Your filthy. Paws. Off her!" Naru growled, striding straight towards Mai and the man on top of her. A short dude with glasses lunged at Naru but the boy simply grabbed his outstretched arm and tossed him into the side wall. He kept on advancing towards his intended target, silently considering ways of making him beg for mercy.

His friends were stubborn; two more attacked and were dealt with swiftly: Naru delivered a roundhouse kick to the stomach of one of them and the other took an elbow jab to the face. There was a satisfying _crunch_ and blood spewed everywhere. He was grimly satisfied.

Naru glanced back over his shoulder. Two men were still standing but they seemed to be silently retreating. He ignored them and continued to walk towards Mai. The man stood carefully and reached into his pocket, drawing out a knife. Naru raised an eyebrow but didn't stop his advancement.

"It would be dangerous for you to come any closer." The man stated, brandishing his knife before him. Naru stopped about six feet from him, expression blank.

"Get away from her." He said simply, voice as cold as ice.

"Finder's keeper's. I found her, she's mine." Was the snide reply and the man known as Shibuya Kazuya narrowed his eyes.

"Well then I guess I'll just have to take her from you." With that, Naru stepped forward, dropped to a crouch and swung his leg out, catching the man at the ankles; he fell on his back with a gasp and the knife flew out of his grip, clattering to a stop next to Mai. The girl was pushing herself up, a shaking white hand creeping towards the weapon.

Before the man could get back up Naru placed a foot an his chest and leaned down, bracing his arms against his knees. The man wheezed as the pressure on his chest increased; Naru was unrelenting.

"There are many ways I can make you pay for touching her." Naru said softly, but his words had a steel edge. Intimidation was something he was good at, but this time... This time he wanted the man to _fear_ him, fear him truly. Nary shut his eyes for a moment and felt the heat gathering up behind his eyelids; when he slid them open he saw the man under him pale. His eyes glowed their unearthly white.

"What the hell... Get off me... Freak." He was choking a little and Naru smirked and applied some more pressure on the man's chest. The attacker then did the weirdest thing: He grabbed Naru's ankle and held on tight, smiling a little. Naru frowned and tried to jerk his foot away. He heard someone come up behind him and he turned but was too late.

The force of the metal pipe across his face was nearly enough to send him sprawling. Heck, he would have been flat on his face if his leg wasn't being held in a death grip. Pain exploded across his jaw and temple and he saw stars momentarily. The guy wasn't done though, and brought the pipe down on Naru's head hard enough to draw blood. He hit him again, once, twice, three times until the violet eyed man's knees gave out and he collapsed to the floor.

"That's what you get for trying to play hero." The man with the pipe hissed. He brought the metal up again, when he yowled in pain and dropped the weapon, staggering back. Naru's eyes locked with Mai's brown ones momentarily before she swung the knife again, catching the second attacker across his chest.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Mai screamed. She was still shaking and unsteady on her feet and the knife she was holding was about to fall from her grip. The man she addressed touched his chest and saw a thin line of blood; the cut wasn't deep at all. Naru struggled to get away from the first man who was still pinning him down.

"Why you little _bitch._ " He growled and grabbed Mai's knife hand, twisting it behind her. The brunette gasped in pain that was cut off when the man slapped her hard.

That did it. Naru wrenched himself away from his attacker and punched him so hard he fell unconscious. With that he whipped around and tackled the man holding Mai, hitting him with all his might.

"Don't. You. Dare." He enunciated each word with a punch, red blinding his vision. "Touch. Her."

"Naru..."

He ignored the voice, too focused on trying to hurt the man, hurt him bad enough so he'd remember.

"Naru!"

He beat her up, he slapped her. Naru ground his teeth together and punched the man again. Someone was crying in the background.

"NARU!"

Soft hands touched his face, cupped his cheeks and turned his head. They were shaking and they were cold. The red haze lifted from his eyes and he saw Mai's bruised face, red with blood, white from the cold, dirty tear tracks on her face. She leaned forward and for a second Naru's brain shut down. What was she doing... Was she going to...? She touched her forehead to his, breathing shakily. Naru released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Stop, Naru. Please. He out cold. You don't have to kill him." She whispered, more tears running out of her eyes. The boy chanced a look at the man and his eyes widened fractionally; the amount of blood on his face was horrendous.

Mai reached for Naru's hand and lifted it to her face, pressing it against her cheek. His knuckles were stained with blood, and most of it wasn't his own.

"I'm okay Naru, I'm right here and I'm fine so please calm down." She was speaking so gently and cautiously that for a second Naru was stumped. And then he felt the familiar burning in his eyes and he knew: His eyes were glowing white and Mai thought he was out of control.

"Mai," he croaked and forced his eyes back to normal. "I'm sorry."

She knew exactly what he was apologizing for: The fight, letting her leave alone, not getting there earlier, beating the man into an inch of his life.

She broke down and sobbed heavily and Naru did the most uncharacteristic thing by pulling her against him and letting her hold on.

* * *

 **So that's a wrap. What did you think? Reviews are always welcome as is structured criticism! All of you mutli fandom people, please go vote on my poll too! Thanks so much!  
**

 **-M**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hullo! So now I'll post the next chapter :) Thanks so much for the reviews guys! Really appreciate them.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt (If I did, Naru and Mai would be canon)  
**

* * *

"Naru, don't be stupid and put me down." Her voice was so shaky. Toneless but definitely shaky.

The boy being addressed raised an eyebrow but refused to comply with Mai's command. He paused for a moment and hefted her slim body, adjusting her position in his arms. Mai squeaked and grabbed his neck, holding on for dear life.

"Mai, I'm simply carrying you, not kidnapping you. You don't have to choke me to death." Naru said with a sigh. Mai sniffed slightly and he immediately panicked. Was she crying again?! Was something hurting her?! Did he say something wrong?!

"Well I can't really hold on to anything else." She mumbled. Naru relaxed and internally sighed in relief. Mai had cried for nearly twenty minutes nonstop, wrapped in his arms while they both felt the feeling leave their limbs, shivering in the cold. When she had finally quieted down, he had wrapped her his blazer and picked her up bridal style, ready to carry her back.

"Naru, you're injuries." Mai whispered and touched the side of his face. "You really should let me down, you're just straining yourself." The twenty year old boy could feel the warm stickiness of blood on his cheek and temple. His head swam repeatedly but he grit his teeth and kept moving forward. He had to get Mai back home.

"I'm fine Mai. Do a check on yourself: Where does it hurt? What's feeling different?" Naru changed the topic easily. If he was honest, he actually enjoyed carrying his brunette assistant, feeling her weight and the touch of her hands on his body. He just barely repressed a shiver every time her breath would come in contact with his skin.

"You mean other than the chills of disgust and feeling so slutty?" She chuckled bitterly. "Yeah I'm fine."

"It wasn't you fault Mai." Naru became solemn and his voice became emotionless.

Mai sighed. "I know that. I just can't help feeling that way though."

"You wouldn't feel that way if it weren't for me."

She lapsed into silence from that point on. Her grip around his neck tightened fractionally and Naru had a sneaky feeling he had just voiced what she had been thinking. He didn't comment after that.

When they finally reached Mai's small apartment Naru paused at the door. "Keys?"

Without looking at him Mai replied, "I keep a spare hidden behind the nameplate."

Naru reluctantly let the brunette down but kept a firm grip on her waist as he fished behind the small nameplate on the wall. He successfully withdrew a key and unlocked the front door, pushing it open and letting the two of them in.

When he flicked the lights on, Naru was greeted by a sight and smell so _Mai_ that it was almost overwhelming. The apartment was tiny but well furnished and cozy and homely. Although neat, some things were scattered around in ungainly places; a spare shirt lay on the sofa, books stacked on the floor near the television, freshly washed clothes folded neatly on the kitchen table. The smell of flowers and laundry wash wafted through the air.

 _Her house represents her brain,_ Naru thought with a wry smile.

Mai shrugged herself out of his grip and took a few steps forward. Naru turned to shut and lock the door behind him when he felt her grab his arm, turning his body towards hers and pushing him back up against the door. For the second time that day, Naru's brain shut down as she brought herself closer to him. Was she going to...?

The brunette brought up a small fist and hit him on his chest. Naru's eyes widened.

"Don't." She whispered harshly, hitting him again. "Don't _ever_ blame yourself for things that are. Out. Of. Your. Control." She enunciated the last few words with more feather light punches, her voice shaking with telltale tears.

"Mai," He started to protest but she uncurled her fist and clapped a hand over his mouth.

"No," She cried, "I don't blame you Naru, and you are _not_ going to go around blaming yourself. _Do you understand me?_ "

It was like a huge weight was lifted off his heart. She didn't blame him for what had happened. He nearly cried out in relief, the guilt steadily evaporating from his body. She didn't hate him... Well, maybe for the fight they'd had but not for this incident. Not for this horror.

He grabbed the hand she had pressed to his mouth and laced his fingers through hers. He saw her cheeks heat up underneath the fresh tears that wet her face and couldn't help a smile. A genuine smile that he saved only for her. "Okay."

* * *

Mai stepped out of the steaming shower, toweling her hair gingerly. The gash in her scalp throbbed painfully although the bleeding had stopped. She had spent the better part of forty minutes scrubbing her body vigorously and repeatedly, trying to feel untouched again. After scrubbing herself all over four times, washing her hair twice and standing under hot water until her skin turned red, she finally felt somewhat better.

Now dressed in denim cutoffs and an over-sized t-shirt, she entered the main room, the lounge, that connected to her bedroom, the kitchen and a small balcony. Naru was currently seated on the sofa. His blazer lay next to him, the sleeves of his polo neck were pushed up and he was leafing through one of her school books with an expression that could only be a cross between amusement and distaste.

"The things they teach you these days are-" He looked up at her and froze, eyes widening and sitting up straight. Mai cocked her head and put her hands on her hips.

"What? What's wrong?" He was looking at her like she was wearing a monkey suit and was dancing vulgarly. _How I even came up with that similarity, I have no idea._

"Mai... Are you sure you're..." He seemed at a loss and gestured at her. "Dressed?"

The brunette frowned and looked down at her clothes before realization dawned on her and she burst out laughing. She laughed so hard her sides hurt and her head throbbed. For a moment she forgot all about tonight.

"Naru, you pervert!" She said hysterically, wiping her eyes. She lifted the hem of her shirt to reveal her shorts; the extra large shirt had hidden the pants making it seem like she hadn't worn anything. The boy slumped back, still looking pale and... embarrassed?

"Are you blushing?"

"NO."

Naru stood up and made his way over to the kitchen counter. He'd been busy; medical supplies were neatly set out on the counter, ready to be used and next to them were two steaming mugs. He picked up both and handed one to Mai who was greeted by the mouth watering scent of hot chocolate.

"You had a lot in the cupboard, so I came to the conclusion that you liked it." Naru told her before she could ask. "And you also had some tea. I was wondering about that though."

Mai sipped the hot beverage gratefully. "When it comes to you, one must always be prepared. I kept some with the thought that I would have to serve you should you ever drop by."

"With the thought, or with the hope?" He asked with a smirk. Mai choked on her hot chocolate.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" She demanded.

"That you were waiting for me to drop by."

"You're wrong!"

"Oh really, then why are you blushing?" He looked triumphant and calmly drank his tea.

"Well even if I was, this was hardly the scenario or the reason for you being here I imagined!"

Naru paused with the mug at his lips, his midnight blues clouding over. Mai realized what she had said and immediately felt guilty. She had just offhandedly blamed him for the assault.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." She murmured.

"I know Mai." Naru sighed and beckoned her over, putting his mug aside. "Come here."

The girl walked over to him and gasped loudly when he put his hands on her waist and hoisted her up onto the kitchen counter. He adjusted her legs so he could stand between them before reaching around her to pick up some antiseptic and cotton. With that he pushed her damp hair off her forehead and began to clean and bandage her injuries.

Mai had a hard time controlling her shivers every time he touched her or when he leaned in close. The butterflies were one thing, but she couldn't help twitching every time his hands lingered on her neck, in her hair or on her knees. Images she didn't want to see would flash in front of her eyes. She bore it the best she could, squeezing her eyes shut whenever the urge to scream became too much. Minutes ticked by at a snail's speed.

"Done." Naru's smooth monotone sounded in her ears and she opened her eyes. He had stepped back and was surveying her face. "Sorry if anything hurt."

"N-No," she stammered and he nodded once about to turn away when she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him close. He stiffened all over and Mai wondered what he was thinking; this was the third time since the alley.

"Your turn." She told him and touched his cheek to turn his face to the side. Naru braced his hands on either side of her and shut his eyes. He'd washed up and all the blood was gone but the blue-black bruises and cuts from his beating stood out starkly against his skin. Mai bit her lip and applied the antiseptic, mulling over the thought that he was hurt because of her. She applied a bandage to a rather deep cut then picked up his right hand, going over the split knuckles with more medicine.

"Thank you." Naru said it in such a low voice, Mai wasn't sure if she was just imagining it. The look in his eyes put that theory to rest and she shook her head.

"There's no need." She finished up on his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. Surprisingly enough, he squeezed back before letting go, tilting his head to one side and looking at her intently.

"Can I try something?" He asked and Mai nodded, wondering what he wanted.

In one swift motion Naru slipped one hand behind Mai's neck and brought their faces close, trapping her lips in a soft but heated kiss. At first she didn't know how to react and didn't move, her hands hovering above his shoulders. She panicked a bit, memories of Amon's kiss making her palms sweat. However, Naru's kiss became more demanding and Mai felt herself melt into it, molding into the familiarity of his smell, feel -and now- his taste.

She let her hands fall on his shoulders then slide up into his hair, teasing the dark locks. He reacted to her touch by slipping his other hand around her waist, letting his tongue run along her bottom lip. She shivered and parted her lips slightly, curious to know what he would do. Was it just her or was he smiling, because she felt the corners of his mouth turn up just before he slid his tongue in between her lips, catching her completely off guard.

Mai was unable to suppress the tiny moan that escaped her. In response Naru's breathing seemed to grow more erratic. Still unsure of how to proceed she gently touched her own tongue to his, only to have him go completely wild. He groaned and pulled away a split second before crashing his lips back on her, again and again, hardly enough time for her to catch her breath. His attack was leaving her breathless and needy, silently begging for more.

The brunette sidled closer to the edge of the counter, eliminating as much space as she could, hooking her elbows around the back of Naru's neck. His hands dropped from her face, dragged down her sides to her hips and pulled her even closer, so close that they were literally chest to chest.

For a moment, Mai nearly pulled away. Naru's hands were too close, too similar to _his_... She cracked her eyes open and peered through her lashes, relieved to be greeted by creamy skin and black hair. A familiar face. It was still the boy she loved. Mai sighed and enjoyed the kisses that had now lost some of their harshness but were longer and deeper.

Naru's hands drifted from her hips to her knees, pulling her legs to wrap around his waist, his grip on her knees bruising. Mai shivered and pulled away from his lips, panting heavily. Naru pushed his nose against her neck, kissing and breathing on it causing Mai to squirm.

"Naru..." She gasped and tried to push him away but he refused to budge. Instead he slipped his hands up from her knees to her thighs and higher still.

 _...his hands down to her hips, then lower to the hem of her skirt. Mai thrashed when his hands touched her bare skin... her attacker's hand slid up the inside of her thigh... He touched her...  
_

Mai shrieked at the top of her lungs and lashed out with hands and feet. Still screaming she slid back on the counter, away from Naru, grabbing for a weapon of some kind but came up empty handed. She eyed the twenty year old before her who seemed to be back to normal as he adjusted his clothes and hair.

"Mai," He stepped towards her and she shrieked again, forcing him to stop. "I'm not going to-"

"Don't come near me!" She screeched and Naru sighed.

"I see. Take the next week or so off. I'll arrange for Lin to make up for whatever you miss and I'll ask Modoka to check up on you once a day. Or perhaps you would like Matsuzaki-san to drop in."

"What? What are you talking about?" She decreased the volume, but the hysteria hadn't left her yet.

"Keep up Mai." Naru snapped at her and she winced. "You are in no condition to be working around men. You are free of your duties to SPR for the next week and longer, if required. That is, until you can bear it. That time is not right now, as the experiment just proved."

Everything got sapped out of her. All emotions, all feeling, even the pieces of her heart, everything. She was hollow.

"Experiment..." She whispered, more to herself than Naru. "Right."

She slowly let herself off the counter and walked to Naru on unsteady feet until she stood right in front of him. _Experiment._ Playing with her feelings was not an experiment. Taking something like that _so lightly_ was not an experiment.

Mai slapped the boy before her as hard as she could, right across the face. She saw him blink, dazed and shocked. She pointed to the door.

"Get out."

* * *

Sleep didn't come to her easily. And when it did, she woke up wishing it hadn't.

 _She sees them. There's Naru standing there under a spotlight in the otherwise pitch blackness. And standing back-to-back with him is Gene. As she approaches they look towards her simultaneously. They nod in greeting, but something is different. Gene does not seem to be behaving like Gene; his smile looks more sinister, his blue gray eyes... are not blue gray, but indigo._

 _The scene shifts and she sees a cave. It shifts again and she is standing at the entrance. Arranged in a semi circle are what look like high backed chairs that have white cloth draped over each of them. The cloth is secured to the chairs with thick rope, but there seems to be something bulky under them all._

 _In the candle light she can see runes drawn on the sandy floor, Ayako's charms stuck to the wall. They shield her from the chairs... and also trap the members of SPR inside. They're all there; Bou-san, Ayako, John and Masako, Lin and even Yasu. They are all trying to tell her something, gesturing wildly._

 _Something pierces her back. She feels her spine slowly crack and then snap altogether. A wet sound is made and she is suddenly in a great deal of pain. She cannot move but looks down at her body. Someone's arm sticks through her abdomen, slick with her blood. She can feel it, feel all of it. Her heartbeat slows and the pain floods her senses, sharp yet dull as she fades into blackness._

 _Something- no, someone whispers in her ear. It seems familiar, yet not._

When she wakes up convulsing and in tears, she grips her stomach tight and feels extremely sick. She rushes to bathroom and heaves into the toilet but nothing comes out. She strips and rushes into the shower, trying to wash away her uneasiness.

She does not notice the blood stain on the front of her shirt.

* * *

 **That's a wrap :D R &R please!  
**

 **And also, Snavej (Go check her out if you haven't) has decided to set up a themed writing week. The link to the forum discussing the deets are on her profile, so go check it out! We hope to develop Ghost Hunt fanfiction!**

 **Thanks again!**

 **-M**


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